The Fairest of them all
by Jasper Price
Summary: The sequel to Faes and Foes: Things have gotten stranger in Darla's second year. Not only is there the possibility of a Faerie war approaching, but Theodore has been arrested and there's some strange boy who seems overly interested in Theodore's theories. Things can only get stranger as the year progresses.
1. Chapter 1

_The Risks of the Reversal Effect Theory_

_By Theodore Q. Nott_

_"Those who go in the ordinary sense give birth to human beings; those who go backward find immortality."_

_To say that a person can simply draw a few chalk symbols on the floor, say a few words and manage to bring the dead back to life is an idiotic idea. The reversal of death is not as simple as that. Before one even begins to attempt to put life into a body one must first understand the risks involved. That is why I'm writing this before I publish my studies on The Reversal Effect Theory._

_The key to understanding alchemy is to realize that alchemical thought is extremely dynamic and takes places on three levels at once: the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual. A person does not simply turn lead into gold. The change is physical when changing the base metal, but a person must also transform their minds and emotions into golden thoughts and feelings, and a person changes their souls from darkness into golden light of the spirit. _

_ Alchemy is based on two complementary terms: Pure Yin and Pure Yang. Getting Pure Yin or Yang, however, is nearly impossible unless you are a skilled Alchemist. Yin contains Yang and Yang contains Yin. However, there is a neutral centre, something that is beyond the other two. When working with Alchemy and The Reversal Effect Theory, one [The Alchemist] must put him or her self into the centre of Yin and Yang, fluctuating between the side of dark and light but never truly on either side._

_ Another principal matter to keep in mind before performing any kind of Alchemy is the idea of order of the world. One must keep in mind at all times that something must be given in order to receive. An object of equal or greater value is given in exchange in all parts of Alchemy. Thus is the order of the world. One cannot simply bring a life without exchanging a life first. You cannot bring something of nothing, you can't make gold from air nor can you make life just from death. The world cannot exist without constant structure and unity among all things. The foundations of our very life say this: we are born, we live, and then we die. However, if we're working with the Reversal Effect Theory it goes in a circle: We are born, we live, we die, we are born, we live, we die, and so on. Essentially, the Reversal Effect Theory disrupts life on earth and affects Yin and Yang positively and negatively in opposites. When Yin and Yang are oppositely affected then we have stepped out of the centre. Therefore, to make the Reversal Effect Theory work correctly a life must be given in exchange. When you sacrifice a life in the name of another then you are feeding Yin and Yang positive and negative correctly and you are in the centre of the ring. If you were to try to bring something of nothing then you would be too far into the negatives and it would throw off the balance of the world. When the balance is disrupted the world usually fixes itself before the person performing the task has any chance to correct their mistake. If the proper precautions are not put into place then the person performing the task will suffer serious injury or death._

_ If a person is brought back there are several dangers that rest with their bodies and their minds. They may not return as the person that was once known and loved. Assuming we believe in the idea of souls, you must keep in mind that the Reversal Effect Theory only states that a breath of live can be put into a person, the soul may or may not be returned to the body. The person could come back wrong. They wouldn't be the same person and their sense or morals may be disrupted. The line between good and evil would be horribly blurred. Also, the rebirth process means that anything blood connected to the person (I.E a direct blood relative, a child, a parent, ect.) may very well be harmed during the process. It's highly possible that a blood connected person will fall into great danger. The only way to eliminate this hazard is to offer blood for blood. In other words, the sacrifice mentioned earlier would be the only thing capable of protecting the blood connected person. Also, the person performing the Reversal would be at high risk for exhaustion, fatigue, magical injury, and even death. This type of Alchemy is highly dangerous, even for a skilled Alchemist it requires a lot of concentration and will. The magic produced by this is very strong and very unstable. The Reversal Effect Theory is understudied and therefore all the dangers cannot possibly be accounted for. _

_ Another horrible danger that comes along with this theory is the possibility of something I have named 'blood mummies'. A blood mummy is what happens when the elements do not line up or the words are not said correctly or simply because the person performing the reversal is untrained. The body will reanimate itself, however it will not have the mental functions of that of a normal human. They only know that they are back in a human body and because the body is reanimated and the brain is only barely functioning they cannot make rational decisions or have real functioning thoughts. Skin hangs off them from lacerations to the skin caused the process and looks a bit like bandages. The lacerations bleed profusely. These blood mummies can be quite violent. Based solely on theory, blood mummies will attack living people. _

_ Due to the dangers and the sacrifices that must be made in order to correctly complete the process, The Reversal Effect Theory must remain just that, a theory. It would be morally destructive to test the theory. That is why I have been asked by my publishers to put this warning out before producing my theory. So as to not upset the balance of the earth we cannot under any circumstances test this theory. The entire theory is based solely on principle based research. _

Theodore's essay was published in July. Prior to the essay being put into print it was the best summer of Darla's life. She was actually able to spend time with Theodore doing what seemed like normal father and daughter things. They went out to eat (probably because neither of them could cook), went on short walks, and read books together. Theodore rarely ever let Darla out of his sight. He kept her close to him, terrified that she would vanish again. While it might seem annoying, Darla didn't mind. They were actually getting along and enjoying themselves.

Then the raid happened.

There were no letters, no warning, there was nothing. Theodore had just managed to publish his essay. He thought that he had managed to omit anything that might cause people to attempt to perform the process. The Aurors showed up while Darla and Theodore were debating on where to go for breakfast. Theodore paled when they came through the door.

"Don't touch that," he yelled as someone started going through the books on the mantle. "That's fragile. Don't go in there, that's none of your business!" If it weren't for the Auror standing at the bottom of the steps then Theodore would have followed behind them and continued yelling.

"If you don't have anything to hide then there's nothing to worry about, Nott," a red haired Auror said. He seemed a little to happy, like he wanted to be there.

Theodore gripped his cane tightly with one hand and pushed Darla behind him with the other. "This is pointless, Weasley."

"We'll see about that, won't we," Ron told him.

"You don't have to look so happy about it."

Rom scoffed. "Are you kidding? This is almost as great as a raid on Malfoy's house would be."

"School was a long time ago," Theodore said through his teeth.

Ron looked up, the smile gone from his face. "The war wasn't."

Theodore's grip on his cane tightened and he narrowed his eyes. Darla had only seen him this angry once and that was when he had been drunk. "Things have changed since then."

"Not everything, I still don't have a brother."

"It's not like you don't have spares!"

Ron seemed to be struggling against acting on his rage. He and Theodore both seemed to be ready to attack. Thankfully, another Auror came down the steps.

"Weasley, you might want to look at this."

"Gladly," Ron growled and snatched the papers from the Auror's hand. "Oh…oh…oh…" He'd sopped smiling. "That's not good…that's not something that someone should own… You found that upstairs?"

The man nodded.

Ron frowned and looked back to the papers. "Alright, bag it up and we'll take it to the Ministry."

"Right." The man headed back upstairs.

Holding tight to her father, Darla looked up. Theodore was staring at the floor, his face void of emotion. Darla wanted to ask what was going on but she was too terrified to speak. People were running around her home, going through things, taking things away, and reading papers.

"Theodore…" Ron folded up the papers and slid them into an envelope. "Listen, you know that drill here. Um…" He glanced down at Darla. "Do you want to make arrangements for your daughter?"

Theodore looked up, his jaw tightened. "Draco Malfoy, send her to him."

Ron twitched slightly. "Are you sure that's who you want to send her to? Malfoy?"

"He's her uncle and he's a good man. Send her to him."

"Fine, if that's really where you want her to go. Not the best place in the world, but fine." He paused and took a breath. "I'll give you two a minute…Theodore?"

Theodore stood as straight as he was able to and nodded once.

"Look, I'm doing you a favour here. You should know how this usually works. Remember that I'm trying to help you right now. Remember that and try to cooperate."

Theodore was silent.

Shaking his head, Ron took a few steps away.

Darla didn't have the time to ask what was happening. Theodore knelt down and put his hands on her shoulders. "Alright, there's not a lot of time here so listen close. Nothing is wrong, okay? Everything is going to be just fine, this us just a small glitch. Understand?"

Darla nodded because she didn't know what else to do. This was all too much for her to handle, especially so early in the morning. Everything had been normal, and then suddenly there were strangers.

"I need you to tell Draco that the Aurors came, I'm being arrested, and he needs to get Millicent," he said quickly.

"You're being arrested?"

"Yes. There are Aurors and he needs to get Millicent, understood?"

No, Darla didn't understand at all. Theodore was talking but she only barely heard him. She had just gotten him back; she had finally gotten her father back. He had come out of his isolation and was with her. They had just become a family again. Now he was being taken away and it didn't make any sense to her whatsoever. "Aurors, arrest, Millicent," she parroted back. "Daddy, where're you going?"

Theodore sighed and pulled Darla into a hug. "I have to go with them because they're stupid enough to think that they have something on me," he explained in a hushed voiced. "They don't and they never will. Everything will be alright. You have to believe that."

Darla clung to her father. What was she supposed to do aside from give the message to Draco? Tears welled up in her eyes and she held onto Theodore's shirt for dear life.

"Don't cry. Regardless of what happens, never let them see you cry. Don't let them think you're upset. This isn't going to last, make sure that they know that you know that," Theodore told her as he pulled away.

"I'm not meaning to…I just got you back, daddy."

Theodore gently wiped the tears off Darla's cheeks. "I know, but this won't last long. Draco and Millicent know what to do, everything will be alright. Do you believe me?"

Darla didn't have much of a choice. She didn't have anyone else to believe and she had to trust that her father knew what he was doing here. Darla nodded and swallowed.

"Then don't cry, alright? Hold your head up and don't let them think that they've broken you, alright."

Taking a deep breath, Darla pulled herself together. He held her head high and nodded stiffly. "Got it. And you'll be home soon, right?"

"Before you know it, I promise."

"Nott?" Ron stepped back over. "We have to go. Are you ready?"

Theodore hugged Darla before he stood up. "I love you, alright."

No crying, there was no point in crying, right? It wouldn't do any good. "I love you too, daddy," she said, trying not to shake.

"Alright, we'll arrange for her to go to Malfoy's and—"

"One more thing." Theodore paused before he held out his cane. "Darla, take this, alright?"

Darla stared at him. "You need that to walk, daddy."

Theodore shook his head. "They won't let me have it anyway. Just take it, alright?"

After a moment of hesitation, Darla reached out and took the cane. She held it tight to her chest, wondering how Theodore was going to walk now.

"Be good," Theodore told her.

Darla nodded as someone escorted her to the fireplace. She hoped that her uncle could clear up this matter and explain things to her. Her head was so full of questions that she felt dizzy. At least flooing could distract her a little.

She stumbled out of the fireplace in Malfoy Manor.

Scorpius jumped back. He had been quietly sitting on the floor flipping through a book. He shook his head and regained his composure. "I didn't know you were coming over today."

"Where's Uncle Draco," Darla asked instantly. That was the only person she really needed to see because he could fix everything, right? Theodore had told her to talk to him, so he must be able to put the world back right.

"He's at work." Scorpius closed his book and got up off the floor. "Did something happen, Dolls?"

Darla shook her head. This wasn't something she could understand, not when she didn't understand it. "Aurors, arrest, Millicent," she finally said.

Scorpius blinked. "Uh huh, I see you've gone insane now. That's fine, that's alright. MUM! DARLA'S HERE AND SHE'S GONE CRAZY!"

Maybe she had gone insane. Maybe this was all just a sign that she was schizophrenic. Honestly, Darla would be perfectly fine to know that she was going off her head. It would make things so much simpler.

"Scorpius, don't call your cousin crazy," Astoria said as she hurried down the steps. "Oh, Darla, hi there. Draco didn't mention that you would be stopping by today. Is Theodore out?" Astoria stopped and looked Darla over. "Sweetie, why do you have your father's cane? It's not nice to take things that people need. Is Theodore trapped on the couch?" She didn't really look worried about Theodore being stuck. If anything she looked mildly amused by this idea.

Darla shook her head again and gripped the cane tighter. "I left my cat," she muttered and looked down.

Astoria paused. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

Darla was in no way okay. In fact, she was exactly the opposite. "Daddy said that he wouldn't need his cane. Or, no, he said they wouldn't let him have it."

"Okay, who wouldn't let him have it?"

"Aurors. Or, I think. I've never really seen an Auror. Unless those were Aurors at the house, in which case I have seen an Auror. Several Aurors, actually."

Astoria walked over and knelt down beside Darla. "Aurors? Sweetie, were there Aurors in your house?"

"I think… Um, Daddy said to tell Uncle Draco, um, Aurors, Arrest, Millicent," she repeated again. Maybe her Aunt would be able to take those words and form a sentence with them.

Apparently Astoria did understand. She stood up and groaned. "Again? Really? Honestly, no offense dear, but your father is an idiot at times. Honestly, Aurors!" She crossed her arms and shook her head. "I'll tell your Uncle and I'm certain that he'll do…something. If he can," she added through her teeth.

Darla managed to get herself over to the couch. Her mind was completely blank and she couldn't think. She couldn't focus on anything and she just felt dizzy and sick.

"Can I get you anything, sweetie," Astoria asked in a much softer voice.

Did she need anything? She needed her father, that was for sure. She needed to know that he was alright but she wasn't sure how to ask for that. "Can you get Uncle Blaise?"

"Blaise Zabini," Astoria repeated. "You want Blaise Zabini?"

Darla nodded weakly. Blaise had been there for her before. He had been the one to take care of her after she and Theodore fought during Christmas and he had taken her home with him after the incident at the Christmas party. Maybe he would be able to so something now. All Darla really knew was that she was comfortable with the man, he made her feel safe for reasons that she couldn't explain.

Astoria sighed. "I'll see what I can do. First I need to see Draco and then I'll see what I can do about Blaise."

The room fell silent once Astoria went to go try get Draco. The quiet was delightful. Darla was almost able to sort everything out in her mind. She knew that her father had been arrested. She knew that he wasn't allowed to have his cane. And she knew that Draco would be able to help. Then there were the things that she didn't know. What had he been arrested for? How long would he be away? Why was everyone acting like this had happened before? Had it happened before? How many times? Who was Millicent and what would she be able to do? The unknown greatly outweighed the known.

Scorpius sat down on the couch beside Darla. "You alright, Dolls?"

A part of Darla wanted to tell Scorpius that she wasn't alright. Everything was wrong and so screwed up that she didn't even know where to begin. But she was afraid. She was afraid that if she attempted that everything was horrible then she would realize how bad things were and she would start to cry. Theodore had told her specifically not to cry. So she wouldn't.

"Uncle Draco will fix everything," she finally said. "Daddy said that Uncle Draco would fix everything, so everything will be alright." Because things had to be alright for once.

**Theodore**

Draco and Theodore were in an empty room. A Charm kept Theodore from crossing the side of the room furthest from the door. Not that he could get to the other side of the room, he didn't have his cane. Draco flipped through several papers and shook his head. Theodore didn't look nearly as worried as Draco did. Actually, Theodore looked very calm about the whole matter. He stood against the wall putting as little weight on his leg as possible and stared blankly across the room at Draco.

Theodore's lip was busted. Not due to a fight with the Aurors, but because he had attempted to retain his pride. He had decided to walk without the assistance of his cane and had dealt with the pain by biting through his lip. Adding to his stupidity, he had refused any kind of medical assistance.

"I don't know about this, Theodore," Draco finally said.

Theodore shrugged. "Just tell Millicent to do what she does best and get me off again. She's never let us down before, I don't see why she would now."

Draco looked up. "Theodore, this isn't like the other times. The last time you were arrested we only got you off because of grief and claimed it to be temporary insanity."

"You had Blaise drug me and take me into St Mungos for over two months."

"You were trying to dig up graves, Theodore!" Draco's temper was rising.

"I was trying to bring people back. Namely, my daughter and your son."

"You can't bring people back from the dead, Theodore! I thought you'd learned that before. I thought that became clear at Christmas."

Theodore readjusted himself against the wall, trying to be a little more comfortable. He refused to sit on the floor like some kind of animal. "It wasn't ready then," he explained. "I might've been able to do it then."

Draco took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. "Why did you publish that paper? Why would you even think about doing something so stupid?"

"I made a lot of money off of it," Theodore admitted. "Besides that it was right and it proves that I'm brilliant."

"You did this so that people know that you're smart? Theodore, that's stupid."

"No, it's not. People know my name and they know that I'm absolutely brilliant. I think that's the important thing here." It made perfect sense to Theodore. People would read the paper, realize how brilliant he was, and then he would get more funding for his project. He hadn't thought that anyone would assume that he had attempted the theory.

Draco shook his head. "You're impossible, you know that? You're absolutely impossible. I left work to come here and help you and you don't look the least bit ashamed."

"That's because I'm not."

"Well you should be!" Draco took another deep breath. Dealing with Theodore was like dealing with a child.

Theodore rolled his eyes. "Theodore, I made more off that paper than you make in a month. Do you realize how many people read it? A lot, a lot of people read it."

"Like the Aurors?"

"I suppose they did too. Really, it made a lot of money and a lot of people now understand how brilliant I can be. Really, I don't see any reason to worry." Theodore was already thinking about how he was going to publish his next essay. The one that actually talked about The Reversal Effect.

Draco saw plenty of reasons to worry. "Look, this is your eighth offense, Theodore."

Theodore shrugged. "Three of those ended with inconclusive evidence. They can't use those against me. I mean, the first was when I was eighteen and I got blamed for items my father owned."

"Yes, and then when you were twenty and they found Dark Artefacts?"

"Again, inconclusive evidence. The war hadn't been over that long, those still could've been my father's."

Draco shook back at the paperwork. "Well, you were actually arrested for possession when you were twenty-three."

Theodore just shrugged again as though his colourful record was meaningless. "I was on parole. I managed to keep the Aurors from coming over for the three years I was on parole."

""Yes, but as soon as you were twenty-seven you broke the law again."

"Not for possession."

"Yes, but for restricted magic."

Theodore actually looked up, his eyes narrowed. "I was put on parole then as well. Besides, I was trying to actually do something, alright?"

"I know," Draco said, his voice softening. "But that's still not an excuse."

"It's not? My wife was dying, Draco! She was dying and no one was doing anything about it. I had to be the one to step up and actually try to fix everything!"

Draco paused, giving Theodore a moment to calm down. He remembered that awful time, he remembered how useless he had felt when he hadn't been able to do anything. However, he couldn't tell Theodore these things. Theodore would instantly say that Draco didn't understand and, if Draco were to be honest with himself, he didn't. He didn't know what it would feel like to lose his wife or to watch her fade away into nothingness. He would never understand how Theodore had felt.

"Aren't you going to continue," Theodore asked through his teeth. "Aren't you going to get to the body hoarding or the attempted murder?"

Draco looked down. "You didn't report her death, Theodore. It took three days before anyone knew that she was dead, that was the problem."

Theodore rolled his eyes. "My wife had just died, Draco. I wasn't in a proper state of mind."

"And that's why you spent thirty days in St. Mungos," Draco explained. "I kept your daughter and you took a break from the world. It's what anyone would've needed."

Theodore scoffed. "They thought I killed Daphne."

Draco looked back up. "Did you?"

"Inconclusive evidence," Theodore said instantly.

"Theodore?"

"That was the last charge," he said, changing the subject. "Until that thing last year."

Draco squirmed uncomfortably. "Right…and that was passed off as, again, temporary insanity. It was helpful that you had a history of that."

"Yes, always good to go insane."

"Right. Still, this is your eighth offense. Millicent is going to have her hands full with this one. We might be able to get you off on parole, but that would be the best we could do."

"Where does this 'we' fit in, Draco? You're not a lawyer, you're a healer. Millicent is going to get me on parole and that's the end of the story," Theodore explained and relaxed against the wall again.

Draco closed the file and stood up. "Theodore, I'm trying as hard as I can."

"Yes, you are. I just need for Millicent to try harder." He closed his eyes. "You can go now."

"Theodore."

"Draco, I'm done. Go home, take care of my daughter, please. This'll all blow over soon enough."

Maybe it would. Maybe it would be like the last couple of times and Theodore would get insanely lucky. Thus far he had been a very lucky man. Draco turned back and looked at Theodore before he left. "Theo?"

"What," Theodore snapped.

"Daphne…you didn't kill her, right?"

Theodore was silent for a moment. "Isn't there something you should be doing right now, Draco?"

Evading the truth was Theodore's way of telling the truth. Draco swallowed and nodded. "We'll fix it," he promised and closed the door behind him.

He wasn't sure what to think about Theodore at this point. His friend hadn't technically done much wrong, right? All the Aurors had found were a few crystals and notes about the Theory. It was all based on circumstance, maybe? Draco didn't know, he wasn't even sure if he wanted for Theodore to get off. Maybe his friend did belong in jail. It made him feel sick to think about it that way, but he had to. Theodore had helped his wife die and now he was messing with forces that were better left alone. Perhaps Theodore should've gone to jail a long time ago.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, I have one horrible cat, an owl plushie that seems to be falling apart, I bought new clothes because frankly what you had in your closet was just horrific, and I brought snow cherries, they're from France. Who called for me?"

Darla jumped off the couch and ran across the room, nearly tackling Blaise to the ground. She wrapped her arms around his waist, nearly causing him to drop the cage that held Buttons. "Uncle Blaise! I missed you."

Blaise smiled and sat everything down on the ground. "Yes, I know, poppet. Now, why don't you tell Uncle Blaise what happened while he was away?"

"Theodore was being an idiot, as per usual," Astoria said. She sat at the kitchen table, occasionally looking up at the clock.

"Well, he's a genius, Tori. I mean, he's dumber than a…well, dumber than a stupid thing, but the man is a genius."

"He's an idiot," she repeated. "I thought that Draco would be in by now."

"Who needs Draco when you've got me? Right, Nottlette?"

Darla actually smiled. "You're the best, Uncle Blaise."

"I know it. Now, why don't we go, sit down, and maybe we can talk about what happened."

Maybe Blaise would be able to make sense of the situation. Darla nodded and led Blaise to the living room. "Is Auntie Tori angry at daddy," she asked as they sat down."

Blaise took a breath and thought about this for a moment. "Well, she's always mad at your dad. She has been for years."

"Why?"

"They just don't get along. A difference of ideas or something. I don't know. I've known your father for years, but there were a few years where we didn't talk, see? So, I don't really know what the problems between your dad and your aunt are."

"Why didn't you talk?"

"Well, we just didn't." Blaise leaned back. "Why don't we talk about what happened today? I just heard the basics of it. Anything you want to mention?"

Darla thought for a moment. She had already told her aunt everything that she knew about what had happened. Really, she only knew the basics. "A bunch of people came in, Aurors, I think they were Aurors."

"Did they have badges?"

"Um, when they came in one of them showed daddy a badge, I think. Um, Weasley, that was what daddy called him."

Blaise didn't look happy. He pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "Tall, red headed fellow?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Ron Weasley," Blaise said and shook his head. "I can't say I'm surprised. The Weasleys never liked us very much, I bet he was excited to be there."

"He was." Darla paused. "Hey, Freddie is a Weasley and he's one of my best friends."

"Well, his uncle just arrested your father." Blaise shook his head. "Again, I'm not surprised here. So, the Aurors came and then what?"

Darla was a bit more focused on the new information her uncle had just given her. Freddie's uncle arrested her father? That meant that the man was James's uncle too. How could her friends be related to a man who took fathers away from their daughters? Freddie and James were both so nice. Well, James was, Freddie wasn't mean though. Well, not anymore. Wait, wasn't Harry Potter an Auror too? Darla vaguely remembered hearing James say something about his father being an Auror. Was James's dad involved in this in some way? Had he helped with this raid?

"Darla?"

Darla looked up. "Huh?"

"The Aurors, poppet, what happened after the Aurors came?"

"Oh, right." Darla closed her eyes and tried to remember. "They started going through all of our things and then they went upstairs. Then they came back downstairs, said they'd found something, then daddy gave me his cane, and then I was here," Darla explained.

Blaise sighed and shook his head. "Merlin, this is just wonderful," he mumbled sarcastically.

"When will I see daddy again?"

Blaise thought for a moment. "Don't freak out, alright? Probably Christmas. He'll be in custody for a few days and then Draco should be able to get him out on bond."

"What's bond?"

"It's like where you give people money so that people can go home. Like, he'll pay so that Theodore will be able to go home, but Theodore won't be able to go anywhere but home. You'll probably stay here while he's on bail, they won't really want for you to be around him right now."

"Why not?"

"It's just…it's not a good idea right now. Don't worry, your Uncle Draco will take care of you."

So, she wouldn't be able to see her father for quite a while. Darla cleared her throat and blinked several times, refusing to let herself cry. She had only just gotten him back, he had only just come out of hiding in his study and started to be a real father. Now she wasn't even allowed to see him. It wasn't fair. "I don't want to stay with Uncle Draco," Darla finally muttered.

Blaise tilted his head to the side. "Why not?"

"I just don't like it here. It's not…I just don't want to be here."

Blaise thought for a moment. "Well, you can stay with me. We can go shopping for all your school things and I'm always at home and Mars is there. Would you rather stay with me?"

Would staying with Blaise really be better? "Yeah, I think I would like that." Blaise had taken care of her the last time her father got himself in a mess, why wouldn't he be able to do it now?

Blaise looked surprised. "Oh, um, alright then. I'll have to talk to Toria, and then we'll, uh, we'll figure things out from there. Oh, I'm certain that Mars will just be trilled!"

"Why would Mars be happy," Darla asked.

"Oh, I don't know. He just might. I like to think that he will be." Blaise ruffled Darla's hair. "My house is so much better than Draco's boring manor."

"My manor is _not_ boring," Draco said as he stepped into the living room. "Can someone please explain to me why Blaise Zabini is in my living room?"

Blaise looked up and smiled slightly. "I think we both know why I'm here."

"Sometimes I think you just like to break into my house."

"I didn't break in, I was let in. Honestly, Pudding, you think so little of me."

"Pudding," Darla repeated.

Draco twitched slightly. "It's a nickname that Blaise will never repeat again because we're not in third year anymore."

Blaise just grinned. "Anyway, Darla said she wanted to stay with me."

"Uh, Blaise, do you really think that's the best idea," Draco asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Whatever makes her forget that her father has just been arrested, right?"

"I imagine it's hard to forget when you say things like that, Blaise."

Blaise shrugged. "Is Millicent working her magic yet?"

"Millicent yelled at me for twenty minutes as though this is my fault."

"Well, was it your day to watch Theodore?" Blaise asked, deadpan.

Draco rolled his eyes and sat down in a chair across from Blaise and Darla. "Don't worry, Darling, everything is going to be just fine."

"People keep saying that," Darla mumbled.

"Well, it is," Draco assured her. "I mean, it is going to be alright. Millicent is a brilliant lawyer, she knows what she's doing. Your father will be just fine, there's no need to worry. All you need to worry about is school."

Darla paused. "School starts next week, doesn't it?"

Draco nodded.

"I haven't gotten my books or anything!" Darla jumped up off the couch and ran her fingers through her hair. "Daddy and I were going to go shopping for everything this weekend. Oh, we shouldn't have procrastinated on this!"

Blaise tugged on Darla's sleeve. "Poppet, I already told you that you and I shall go shopping this week."

Darla relaxed a little. She had forgotten about that. "Alright, alright. So, I'll get my things, good. That'll be…that'll make things easier. Oh, but I'll be putting you out, won't I?"

Blaise laughed. "Please, I haven't gotten Mars's stuff yet. He doesn't want to go, he just wants to hide. Kid hasn't even played with his fancy little Head Boy badge yet."

"Your kid is Head Boy?" Draco asked.

"Yup," Blaise said proudly. "I was so impressed. Honestly, a kid of mine as Head Boy. Mars just stared at the badge and then started swearing, I think he was excited."

Darla wasn't so sure that that was the case. Mars hadn't exactly been pleased that he was a prefect and he really hadn't done any of his duties, not that Darla saw anyway. He mostly seemed to ignore the responsibility and hoped it went away. Then again, he had saved her life. Maybe that helped somehow?

"I'm exhausted," Darla finally said and sat back down on the couch. It wasn't late, but she had had a very hard day. She was just ready to get into a bed and sleep. Maybe when she woke up everything would be normal again. It was a childish hope, but hope was all she had.

Blaise nodded and stood up. "I understand that. Draco, is it alright if I take her with me?"

Draco hesitated. He looked at Blaise and then down at Darla. Finally, he nodded. "Alright, I'll be by in the morning before work. I'll keep you two up to date on how Theodore's doing. Don't worry."

"Honestly, Uncle Draco, the more you say 'don't worry' the more I worry," Darla told him as she got off the couch again.

"I'll be sure not to say it anymore," Draco said and wrapped his arms around Darla's shoulders. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow we'll be shopping," Blaise said and smiled. "C'mon, Nottlette, we've got snow cherries to eat and lists to look over."

Darla nodded and followed Blaise and Draco. She picked Buttons's cage off the floor and held it tight to her chest. Maybe everything would be alright. Draco seemed to have a handle on the situation and they apparently had a good lawyer, whatever that meant. And Theodore would be out on bail, whatever that meant. Darla wasn't entirely sure how the whole court system worked, but everyone else seemed to understand it pretty well. Maybe she could find a book on it somewhere.

Darla sat, alone, in a bedroom that was not her own. The walls were too bright blue, the bed was too large, and she kept sliding on the satin sheets. Nothing about this place felt right, but Darla still felt it was better than being at Draco's. Scorpius was nice and everything but the two of them didn't quite know how to get along yet and Darla didn't want to feel awkward. Mostly, Darla wanted to be alone. Well, she had thought so. Now that she was alone she was scared. She was in a different house and she didn't have the comfort of her father. She didn't know if he was alright or if he was hurt. She wasn't sure if people were being nice to him. Well, at least she had her cat. Buttons was curled up next to her making a noise that might have been purring.

As much as Darla loved her horrible cat he wasn't what she needed. While she hated to admit it Darla knew that she needed another person to comfort her. She considered going to find Blaise but she didn't want to bother him. He had already opened his house to her and Darla didn't think that she could really ask him to do anything else.

Finally, Darla realized that she wasn't going to be able to get any sleep. She got out of the bed and opened the curtains to look out the window. The quarter moon was bright and cast new light into the room. Darla scanned the sky until she found a star that was closest to the moon.

_I don't care if you're far away, I don't care if you go astray. I'm your moon, no matter where you are. You will always be my star_.

The moon story might not always make sense and it might've just been a stupid story that Theodore had made up, but it made Darla feel better. It made her feel closer to her father and reminded her that distance didn't matter. He was her moon and she was his star.

A knock on the door pulled Darla out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called.

The door opened just enough for Mars to slip in. He closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall. "Hey."

Darla hadn't seen Mars since she had arrived. He didn't even come downstairs to enjoy the snow cherries from France. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him. The previous year he had saved her life from an evil Faerie that was pretending to be her mother. The Faerie had looked just like Daphne. It had her voice, her hair, and her gentle nature. But it hadn't had her eyes. Mars had been the one to realize that.

"Dad just fell asleep," Mars said, "thank God."

"Why're you so happy that he's asleep?"

Mars shrugged. "Every time he sees me he latches onto me, talks about how happy he is that I'm alive, and then he rambles on about how amazing it is that I'm head boy. It's so annoying."

Darla didn't think that sounded annoying in the slightest. In fact, she would love to have that. "He just loves you."

Again, Mars shrugged. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "I know." He looked her over. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Darla answered instantly.

"You're a poor liar." Mars smiled slightly. The smile faded quickly. "There's no reason for you to be alright, not with everything that's happened in the last year. Merlin, can your life just be normal for two seconds?"

"I think it's become a law that my life has to be interesting." Things certainly had been interesting. The bad kind of interesting. Between Theodore being in the hospital, being arrested, Darla getting kidnapped, the Faerie war—

The Faerie war. With everything else that had been happening Darla had all but forgotten about that. Now she remembered what Lysander had warned her about. Oh, she longed for the days when her biggest worry was Prima Pucey saying something rude to her. Why did she have to worry about so many things? Why couldn't things just go right? Well, she had gotten a couple of months of happiness. She and Theodore had spent a lot of time together and Theodore had tried to be a good father. That was enough for now. It had to be.

Darla stepped away from the window and sat on the bed, her back to Mars. "Everything is going to be alright," she told him, repeating what everyone had told her.

"No it won't," Mars bluntly told her. "Everyone will say that things are going to be alright because that's the nice thing to say, but lying isn't going to help any."

Darla turned around and looked at Mars. "What do you mean?" How could things not be alright? They had to be.

"Your dad was arrested for having Dark Artefacts and possibly using Dark Magic," Mars explained. "Things aren't going to be easy. The name 'Nott' is going to be synonymous with Dark Wizards….and insanity. That's the truth, as cold as it may seem. People aren't going to react well to this and they're not going to react well to you. You didn't do anything, but you're his daughter. You lived with him. People are going to think…well, I don't know exactly what they'll think but it won't be very kind."

Darla hadn't even thought about how other people would react. Now that she was actually thinking about it she realized that Mars was right. While it wouldn't be front page worthy the arrest would definitely make it into The Prophet. After all, Theodore was well known for his contributions to magical research. He had been published multiple times in Transfigurations Today, Popular Potions, and Wizard Weekly. People did know his name. The Reversal Effect Theory had been published independently, so how many people had really read it. Obviously the Aurors had. How much would this hurt his reputation? Also, how much did all of this affect her? Would James still be her friend after this? Did she even want him to be? Would people think she was a Dark Wizard? No, she was too young, right? Surely people wouldn't think like that…would they?

"Sorry," Mars said, breaking the silence. "Didn't mean to upset you. I just think that someone should be honest with you, even if the truth does sound a little cruel."

It had sounded cold, but Darla knew a thing or two about how horrid the truth could be. She remembered how upset Albus had gotten after she told him that the dead didn't care. "The most honest people are often called cruel. They're not, they're just saying what needs to be said," she explained.

Mars turned around. "Your senseless logic occasionally makes sense. This is not one of those occasions."

"I'm too tired to make sense," she admitted.

"I know, I shouldn't keep you up." Mars moved off the bed. "Get some sleep, kid."

Without really thinking about what she was doing, Darla turned around and grabbed the back of Mars's shirt. "Can you stay? We don't have to talk, but can you just stay?" She wasn't ready to be alone again.

Mars looked down at her. "Is your demon cat going to kill me in the middle of the night?"

Buttons was still sleeping peacefully on the bed. "Buttons is a kitty, not a demon."

"That cat hates anyone who isn't you."

That was almost true. Buttons really didn't like most people. He had scratched at Theodore over the summer and he didn't let most people pet him—not that people really wanted to pet him in the first place. "He also loves Lysander," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, that kid is weird as all hell. It makes sense for a weird cat to love a weird kid." Mars shook his head. "Now go to sleep."

Darla was perfectly fine with sleeping. She clutched her stuffed owl, Prowly, and snuggled under the blankets. The bed was still too large and the sheets were still annoying, but she didn't complain.

Mars sat down on the floor beside the bed. He didn't say anything, he didn't need to. Just having him there was good enough. It was comforting to know that she wasn't alone. Everything was a little less scary with him there. Darla was actually able to fall asleep.


End file.
